Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 will go down as a critical day in American history. Regardless of the outcome, it will forever be remembered as the date on which the American people mercifully put an end to what has become one of the most gruesome and unpredictable election cycles in recent memory. As someone who has always been vehemently opposed to both of the sorry candidates nominated by both major parties, I'm just glad that we're near the end point.
In a sense, however, we are at a beginning. Both the conservative and progressive movements face uncertain futures, but it seems that those on the left have generally consolidated behind their nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There is a very real schism, however, that has developed within the conservative movement. Since last June, Donald Trump has taken the Republican Party by force, and his candidacy seems to have split conservatives almost down the middle. His hardline stance on issues such as immigration and free trade has been music to the ears of disgruntled blue-collar conservatives, but it has alienated the rest of the Republican base. The question is, where do we go from here?
The philosophy of conservatism is based primarily on the idea that man was meant to be free, and that government should be limited to the most basic of functions. Furthermore, we generally adhere to traditional Judeo-Christian values and believe that it is best for the rest of society to do the same. Although I generally consider myself to be more of a libertarian, I am generally more sympathetic to conservative political views.
Nonetheless, Donald Trump scares me. We're talking about a man who wants to, among other things, restrict free trade, raise the federal minimum wage, and implement mandatory paid maternity leave. His base loves these policies, but this is not what we traditionally stand for. Free enterprise is a cornerstone of American society, and diminishing its role in this country will only further water down our principles. Under Trump's economic proposals, it will become harder for families to get ahead, much less thrive. The national debt, now at roughly 20 trillion, will continue to skyrocket as we fund programs that we simply cannot afford. If we are going to reclaim what it means to be a conservative in America, we need to elect a president who knows what we stand for, especially with regards to fiscal policy. Mr. Trump, even if he is the lesser of two evils, does not fit the bill.
I voted early, and I ended up voting for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. I don't agree with him on everything (namely on abortion and religious freedom), but we need to send a message that Donald Trump does not represent what we stand for. In order to get the Republican Party (and more importantly, this country) back on track, we need to start choosing our candidates more wisely and with more consideration.
Regardless of what happens on Tuesday, we have a lot of work to do. Taxes, regulations, and red tape are killing the American Dream, and we cannot afford to have people like Donald Trump become the status quo within the very party that prides itself on fiscal conservatism and economic freedom. For the benefit of generations that follow, it is imperative that we do better in future elections.
